Closure latch with auxiliary latch release



April 1967 T. F. PETERS CLOSURE LATCH WITH AUXILIARY LATCH RELEASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

I IN VENTOR. flaabra 97/ 3 292:

JZ'QZ April 4, 1967 PETERS 3,312,491

CLOSURE LATCH WITH AUXILIARY LATCH RELEASE Filed Dec. 24, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Gfiiice 3,312,491 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 3,312,491 CLOSURE LATCH WITH AUXILIARY LATCH RELEASE Theodore F. Peters, Utica, Mich, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 24., 1964. Ser. No. 420,978 6 Claims. (Cl. 292-201) This invention relates generally to vehicle body closure latch assemblies and more particularly to vehice body closure latch assemblies having auxiliary latch release means.

One feature of this invention is that it provides a vehicle body closure latch assembly including new and improved latch release means. Another feature of this invention is that it provides a new and improved vehicle body closure latch assembly including auxiliary latch release means operable independently of the conventional key or other primary latch release or unlocking means. A further feature of this invention is that it provides a new and improved vehicle body closure latch assembly having auxiliary latch release means including spring motor means energized for auxiliary release of the latch by the movement of the closure from open to closed positions, together with means for normally holding the motor means energized in the closed position of the closure, and means for selectively releasing the holding means.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partially broken away fragmentary perspective view of a vehicle body including a closure latch assembly according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG- URE 1 showing the auxiliary latch release means in nonoperating position;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the auxiliary latch release means in operating position releasing the latch;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 44 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body includes a deck lid 12 hingedly mounted adjacent its forward edge 14 for swinging movement between an open position, not shown, and a closed position, as shown, and generally including an inner panel 18 and an outer panel 20 hem-flanged together around the perimeter of the deck lid as shown at the rearward edge 22 thereof. When in its closed position, deck lid 12 engages and compresses a seal strip 24 extending substantially around the perimeter of the deck opening and, in its rearward generally horizontal portion, being mounted within a channel-shaped terminal edge portion of the body back panel 26. A back plate 28 is suitably mounted on inner panel 18 to provide a support for a latch assembly 16 according to this invention, adapted to hold deck lid 12 in closed position.

The latch assembly 16 generally includes a conventional closure latch 30 which will be only generally described herein as it is of well-known construction. For the details of a latch similar to the latch 30 shown herein, reference may be had to Fox et a1. 2,886,365 filed May 12, 1959. Proceeding with a general description of the latch 34 it includes a hollow casing or frame 32 secured to back plate 28 and having rotatably mounted therewithin at 34 a hooked end latch bolt 36. Bolt 36 is rotatable between a latched position in the closed position of deck lid 12, as shown, wherein the hooked end of the bolt is received within a striker opening 38 in back panel 26 and embraces a flanged striker edge portion 40 thereof, and an unlatched position wherein the bolt is disengaged from striker portion 40 to permit movement of deck lid 12 toward an open position under the expansion of the compressed seal strip 24. To hold bolt 32 in latched position, a detent shoulder 42 thereon is engaged by a detent foot 44 of a detent lever 46 pivoted within casing 32 at 48. Although not specifically shown herein, suitable spring means may be provided to constantly bias bolt 36 to unlatched position and to bias detent lever 46 to the holding position shown in FIGURE 2. A detent release cam or roll back 50 is rotatably mounted within casing 32 and is operative upon clockwise rotation as viewed in FIGURE 2 to engage detent lever 46 to pivot the same to a latch release position wherein foot 44 is disengaged from shoulder 42. As shown in FIGURE 5, conventional rotatable lock cylinder actuating means 51 may be provided on the outer panel 20 of the deck lid and operatively connected with roll back 50 for authorized key operation and release of latch 30.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 5 of the drawings, the improved auxiliary latch release means of this invention will be particularly described. As shown in FIGURE 2, a support plate located intermediate casing 32 and back plate 28 includes a spaced pair of transversely bent ears 54 receiving through aligned apertures therein a latch release operating shaft 56. Shaft 56 is of stepped diameter, and a bored connecting block 58 is received over the reduced diameter portion of the shaft to bear on the step shoulder thereof. A coil compression spring 66 is received over the reduced diameter shaft portion and seats at one end on the upper surface of block 58 and at the other end on the upper ear 54. Spring 60 is operative to bias shaft 56 from an upwardly withdrawn or nonoperating position shown in FIGURE 2, to

'a downwardly extended or operating position shown in FIGURE 3, wherein a snap ring 62 on the upper end of the shaft engages the upper ear 54 to prevent overtravel of the shaft, and wherein the lower enlarged diameter portion 57 of the shaft extends substantially below the edge 22 of the deck lid 12.

A latch release lever 64 is pivoted outside the casing 32 on the pivot stud 48 and includes an arm 68 engageable with a lug 70 mounted on the detent foot portion 44 of detent lever 46 and extending therefrom through an arcuate slot 72 in the casing. The other arm of lever 64 is pivotally connected at 74 with one end of a connecting lever 76 pivoted at its other end on block 58.

Operating shaft 56 and release lever 64 are normally located under the action of spring 60 in the operating position shown in FIGURE 3, wherein arm 68 has engaged lug 70 and rotated detent lever 46 clockwise to a latch release position. Assuming now that deck lid 12 is initially in open position and that it is moved to the closed position thereof, the extended enlarged portion 57 of shaft 56 is adapted to engage or be blocked by the upper end of a generally U-shaped blocking lever 78' pivoted at its lower end on back panel 26 and normally rotatably positioned to have the upper end thereof aligned under an aperture 80 in an upper horizontal flange of the back panel, FIGURE 4. A tension spring 82 connected between the back panel and lever 78 normally so locates the lever in this blocking position wherein, upon final movement of the deck lid to the closed position thereof, shaft 56 is caused to move upwardly relative to support plate 52 tononoperating position and to compress spring lever 46 to hold bolt 36 after it is fully rotated to the latched position thereof over striker portion 40.

It is readily seen that spring 60 is adapted to operate as a spring motor means for moving shaft 56 downwardly to operating position and for rotating lever 64 clockwise so as to. release detent lever 46 independently of use of the lock cylinder 51, the forced downward movement of deck lid 12 serving to energize or compress spring 60 for such operation. The energy of the spring is released for operation of these auxiliary detent release means by selectively rotating blocking lever 78 to a nonblocking position, shown in FIGURE 3. Many suitable means may be provided for moving the lever to nonblocking position, but as shown herein, a solenoid 84 is mounted on back panel 26 and has the armature thereof suitably connected to lever 78 by a link 86, the solenoid being operable upon energization thereof to move link 86 to the right and rotate the lever against the action of spring 82. Solenoid 84 may be connected to the vehicle electrical power supply through a switch 88 located preferably in the passenger compartment of the vehicle and arranged if desired so as to be usable only during the existence of certain authorized conditions, such as for example, the presence of the key in the vehicle ignition lock cylinder.

It will be apparent that once latch 30 is released by solenoid 84 and the deck lid moves to opening position, spring 82 returns lever 78 to blocking position for repeated-cycles of auxiliary detent release, or normal detent release through use of lock cylinder 51.

Thus a new and improved vehicle body closure latch assembly is provided.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle body closure movable between open and closed positions, and a closure- .latch for holding said closure in closed position and including latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions and detent means for holding said latch means in latched position, detent release means comprising, a release member operable upon said detent means and being movable between an operating position releasing said detent means and a nonoperating position, spring motor means operatively connected to said release member for moving said release member from said nonoperating to said operating position thereof, means operative up'on movement of said closure from said open to said closed position thereof to charge said spring motor means to an energized condition storing operating energy therein, disableable mean for holding said spring motor means in energized condition in the closed position of said closure, and means for selectively disabling said holding means to permit said spring motor means to move said release member to said operating position thereof and release said detent means. i

2. In combination with a vehicle body closure movable between open and closed positions, and a closure latch for-holding said closure in closed position and including latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions and detent means for holding said latch means in latched position, detent release means comprising,1a release member operable upon said detent means andbeing movable between an operating position releasing said detent means and a nonoperating position, biasing means operatively connected to said release member for moving said release member between said positions thereof, said biasing means being responsive to movement of said closure from said open position thereof wherein said biasing means is substantially relaxed and said release member is in said operating position to said closed positionthereof wherein said biasing means is stressed, and said release member is in said nonoperating position, means for holding said biasing means in the stressed condition thereof when said closure is in the closed position thereof, and means for selectively releasing said holding means to permit said biasing means to move said release member to the operating position thereof to release said detent means.

3. In combination with a vehicle body closure movable between open and closed positions, and a closure latch for holding said closure in closed position and in cluding latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions and detent means for holding said latch means in latched position, detent release means comprising, a release member engageable with said detent means for release thereof, an operating member connected to said release member and being movable between an operating position engaging said release member with said detent means for release thereof and a nonoperating position, spring means operatively connected to said operating member for moving said operating member between said positions thereof, said spring means being responsive to movement of said closure member from said open position thereof wherein said spring means is substantially relaxed and said release member is in said operating position to said closed position thereof wherein said spring means is stressed, and said release member is in said nonoperating position, means for holding said spring means in the stressed condition thereof when said closure is in the closed position thereof, and means for selectively releasing said holding means to permit said spring means to move said operating member to the operating position thereof to release said detent means.

4. In combination with a vehicle body closure movable between open and closed positions, and a closure latch for holding said closure in closed position and including latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions and detent means for holding said latch means in latched position, detent release means comprising, a release member engageable with said detent means for release thereof, an operating member connected to said release member and being movable between an operating position engaging said release member with said detent means for release thereof and a nonoperating position, spring means operatively connected to said operating member and being responsive to movement of said operating member from said operating position thereof wherein said spring means is substantially relaxed to said nonoperating position thereof wherein said spring means is stressed, holding means located to be engaged by said operating member upon movement of said closure to the closed position thereof to move said operating member from said operating to said nonoperating position thereof to stress said spring means, said holding means normally holding said operating member in said nonoperating position thereof when said closure is in the closed position thereof, and means for selectively releasing said holding means to permit said spring means to relax and move said operating member to said operating position thereof to release said detent means.

5. In combination with a closure member movable between open and closed positions relative to a vehicle body member, and a closure latch mounted on one of said members for holding said closure member in closed position and including latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions and detent means for holding said latch means in latched position, detent release means comprising, a release member swingably mounted on said latch and engageable with said detent means for release thereof, an operating member connected to said release member and being mounted on said latch for movement between an operating position swinging said release member into engagement with said detent means for release thereof and a nonoperating position, spring means operative when stressed to bias said operating member to said operating position thereof and being stressed when said operating member is in the nonoperating position, thereof, a blocking member mounted on the other of said closure and body members for movement between blocking and nonblocking positions, said blocking member in the blocking position thereof being located to be engaged by said operating member during movement of said closure member from the open to the closed position thereof her from said operating to said nonoperating position thereof and to stress said spring means, and power-operated means for selectively moving said blocking member to the nonblocking position thereof to permit said spring means to bias said operating member to the operating position thereof to release said detent means.

6. In combination with a vehicle body closure movable between open and closed positions, and a closure latch for holding the closure in closed position and including latch means movable between latched and unlatched positions and detent means for holding the latch means in latched position, detent release means comprising, a release member operable upon said detent means, means operative to store operating energy generated by movement of said closure from said open to said closed position thereof, disableable means holding said energy stored in said operative means in the closed position of said closure, means to move said operating rnemfor applying said stored operating energy to said release member, and means for selectively disabling said holding means to permit said stored operating energy to operate said release member and release said detent means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,880,850 10/1932 Dautrick 292341.16 X 2,286,740 6/ 1942 Krause 292-336 2,886,365 5/1959 Fox et a1. 292-341.18 2,943,880 7/ 1960 Joachim et :al 292201 FOREIGN PATENTS 116,683 3/1943 Australia.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Examiner. 

6. IN COMBINATION WITH A VEHICLE BODY CLOSURE MOVABLE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, AND A CLOSURE LATCH FOR HOLDING THE CLOSURE IN CLOSED POSITION AND INCLUDING LATCH MEANS MOVABLE BETWEEN LATCHED AND UNLATCHED POSITIONS AND DETENT MEANS FOR HOLDING THE LATCH MEANS IN LATCHED POSITION, DETENT RELEASE MEANS COMPRISING, A RELEASE MEMBER OPERABLE UPON SAID DETENT MEANS, MEANS OPERATIVE TO STORE OPERATING ENERGY GENERATED BY MOVEMENT OF SAID CLOSURE FROM SAID OPEN TO SAID CLOSED POSITION THEREOF, DISABLEABLE MEANS HOLDING SAID ENERGY STORED IN SAID OPERATIVE MEANS IN THE CLOSED POSITION OF SAID CLOSURE, MEANS FOR APPLYING SAID STORED OPERATING ENERGY TO SAID RELEASE MEMBER, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DISABLING SAID HOLDING MEANS TO PERMIT SAID STORED OPERATIVE ENERGY TO OPERATE SAID RELEASE MEMBER AND RELEASE SAID DETENT MEANS. 